The Nordic Air Racing Team, an official Air Race E team, successfully completed the world’s first flight of an all-electric racing plane – the plane was designed and engineered with the help of Ansys simulation solutions. As the official simulation software partner of Air Race E, Ansys enables teams to overcome some of the key engineering challenges of fully electric flight.
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Air Race E, the world’s first and only all-electric airplane racing championship, is a competitive platform that will accelerate the development of more electric and fully electric propulsion for aerospace applications. These technological advancements are critical for the aviation industry as companies and countries around the world work to reduce carbon emissions — especially those related to travel.
The competing teams are racing to prove their planes are airworthy in advance of the official Air Race E series, which launches in 2023. The Nordic Air Racing Team used Ansys software along with the Ansys Learning Hub, and collaborated with Ansys technical experts to reduce the overall project lead time by 40%.
“This first manned electric Air Race E race plane flight is a historic moment and a landmark achievement in the aviation industry,” said Jeff Zaltman, CEO at Air Race E. “It’s the culmination of months of planning, designing, concept developing, testing and manufacturing by the engineers — none of which could have been achieved without the support and expertise of Ansys and our other visionary partners. Everyone at Air Race E is extremely proud to be part of the burgeoning electric vehicle revolution, and we are grateful to Ansys for their role in making this defining milestone possible.”
Engineers on The Nordic Air Racing Team used Ansys multiphysics simulation solutions as they retrofitted a piston engine racing aircraft with an electric powertrain. Ansys was also used to modify the nose of the plane, optimize the center of gravity, air cooling system and aerodynamics, and develop the composite motor compartment.